title: Levels of evidence of articles published in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine journals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to quantify and assess the levels of evidence of research and review articles published in professional Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine journals with international circulations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative analysis of articles published in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine journals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Selected articles from 7 Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine journals, published over a period of 6 years,were classified according to their level of evidence. Differences in the mean number of each type of article among journals and among years were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 5,451 articles were included in this study,of which 636 (11.7%) were randomized controlled trials. Articles published with the highest frequency were those classified as Level III (n = 2,424, 44.5%), whereas “systematic reviews”were the least frequent (n = 164, 3.0%). Heterogeneity was found only in terms of distribution over journals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The distribution of different types of article in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine journals is similar to that in other disciplines. No increase in articles with a high level of evidence was found in the selected journals over the period of study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Prato Hospital, Prato, Italy. matteo.paci@applicazione.it
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paci
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Briganti
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lombardi
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010810:Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012046:Rehabilitation; D012196:Review Literature as Topic